Vehicle door and window regulator assembly for driving a window in a helical path

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to window regulator assembly, and more particularly, the invention relates to a guide and lift plate for a drum and cable window regulator assembly.

Two common window regulator assemblies are a drum and cable assembly and an arm and sector assembly. A drum and cable assembly operates in a generally vertical direction by moving a lift plate along a guide. A cable wrapped around a drum, which is driven manually or automatically, is connected to the lift plate to move the lift plate along the guide. The guide has a slight helical twist along its length, which can be around 10°, to define the window path or glass drop in the door. The guide has opposing flanges that extend outwardly away from one another. The lift plate includes a plastic member overmolded onto a portion of the lift plate and is slidingly arranged on one of the flanges. Overmolding the plastic onto the lift plate requires a dedicated mold, which is expensive. Furthermore, it is expensive to make the helix into the guide for the window drop.

It is desirable for drum and cable and arm and sector regulator assemblies to share as many components as possible. However, arm and sector assemblies operate in generally horizontal direction in that parallel guides are arranged horizontally and is incompatible with drum and cable assemblies. A scissor-like assembly moves in the straight guides to raise and lower the window. Butterfly sliders are received in the guides and include a ball and socket arrangement to connect the lift plate to the sliders. The ball and socket permits movement between the guide and lift plate to accommodate any glass drop about a horizontal axis. Therefore, what is needed is a drum and cable window regulator assembly that eliminates some of its expensive features and commonizes window regulator components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES

The present invention provides a door including a portion that defines a helical path. A drive assembly includes an actuator couple to a cable for moving the window along the helical path. A single guide having opposing channels extends longitudinally and defines a drive path, which may be straight. A lift plate is movable along the guide for supporting the window, and the cable is connected to the lift plate for moving the lift plate along the guide. A slider, preferably two, is received in the opposing channels with a ball and socket connection between the lift plate and the slider. The ball and socket permits relative movement between the lift plate and the guide such that the window may travel in the helical path as the sliders move in the straight drive path.

Accordingly, the above invention provides a drum and cable window regulator assembly that eliminates some of its expensive features and commonizes window regulator components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages of the present invention can be understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a drum and cable window regulator assembly utilizing the present invention guide and lift plate;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the present invention lift plate;

FIG. 3 is a top elevational view of a butterfly slider; and

FIG. 4 is cross-sectional view of the present invention guide and lift plate taken along line <b>4</b>—<b>4</b> of FIG. <b>1</b>.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A portion of a door <b>10</b> is schematically shown in FIG. <b>1</b>. The door <b>10</b> includes support structure <b>11</b> to which various components may be attached. Portions <b>12</b> are supported on the door structure <b>11</b> to guide a window W, which is shown in phantom, between open and close positions. The window W typically moves along a slight helical path defined by the portions <b>12</b> as the window W moves between positions.

A window regulator <b>14</b> moves the window W between the open and closed positions. A guide <b>16</b> is secured to the support structure <b>11</b> by brackets <b>18</b> in a generally vertical direction that is typically used for drum and cable regulator assembly configurations. The guide <b>16</b>, which is generally straight, defines a drive path that is different than the helical path. That is, the guide does not have a helical bend typically used for drum and cable assembly guides. A lift plate <b>20</b> is supported in the guide <b>16</b> and supports the window W by a member (not shown) secured to apertures <b>28</b>. An actuator <b>22</b>, such as an electric motor, is connected to a cable <b>24</b> that is secured to the lift plate <b>20</b>. Typically, the cable <b>24</b> includes opposing ends <b>24</b><i>a</i>, <b>24</b><i>b </i>that is secured to opposite ends of the lift plate <b>20</b>. The cable <b>24</b> is fed to pulleys <b>26</b> through tubes <b>25</b> along side the exterior of the guide <b>16</b>. With the prior art, the cable <b>24</b> was arranged within the guide <b>16</b>, which caused wear to the cable. Depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor <b>22</b>, one end of the cable <b>24</b> pulls the lift plate <b>20</b> in either an upward or downward direction to close or open the window W.

The present invention incorporates sliders <b>30</b>, best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, that are received in the guide <b>16</b>. The sliders <b>30</b>, which are known in the art, are a butterfly shape and include flexible side portions <b>32</b> that laterally locate the slider within the guide <b>16</b>. Referring to FIG. 4, the body of the slider <b>30</b> includes a socket <b>35</b> that receives a ball <b>34</b>. A protrusion <b>36</b>, such as a rivet, extends from the ball <b>34</b> and is secured to the lift plate <b>20</b>. Preferably, a pair of sliders <b>30</b> is secured to the lift plate <b>20</b> to provide stability the window W as it moves up and down.

The guide <b>16</b> is constructed from a C-shaped member that includes spaced apart facing channels <b>39</b> extending longitudinally. The guide <b>16</b> includes a main wall <b>40</b> and spaced lateral portions <b>42</b> that extend in the same direction from the main wall <b>40</b>. Lips <b>44</b> extend from each of the lateral portions <b>42</b> toward one another. The flexible side portions <b>32</b> of the slider <b>30</b> are retained in the channels <b>39</b> and coact with the lateral portions <b>42</b> to stabilize the window W.

As the lift plate <b>20</b> moves in the guide <b>16</b> along the drive path, the window W is moved along the helical path defined by the door portions <b>12</b>. The ball and socket connection between the lift plate <b>20</b> and guide <b>16</b> provided by the slider <b>30</b> permits the lift plate <b>20</b> to move in a helical path relative to the non-helical path of the drive path. In this manner, the overmolded member and helical bent flanged guide of prior art drum and cable regulator assemblies may be eliminated. Furthermore, a guide and butterfly slider only used in arm and sector regulator assemblies may be used to reduce cost by commonizing components between regulator assemblies.

The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.